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Cooperatives Exclusive to Women

The ministry of cooperatives, labor, and social welfare has announced plans for the establishment of cooperatives exclusive to women.

The deputy minister reiterated that women should be encouraged to run cooperatives using their knowledge and skills.

Hamid Kalantari said such cooperatives could concentrate on knowledge and research benefiting from “women’s undiscovered capacities”.

Statistics show that during recent years, more women have entered universities than men, so naturally there is a considerable female population who graduate from Iranian universities every year.

Kalantari stressed that the large female population must use their talent and help promote the country’s welfare and also participate in manufacturing sector.

The decrease in the number of children during the past three decades has provided a good opportunity for women to get engaged in cooperative activities, said Kalantari.

Currently, Iranian women who are active in cooperatives mainly work in the handicrafts sector, clothing industry, and micro industries.

Iranian state institutions and organizations often do not either recognize or accommodate the particular barriers that women face in accessing resources or taking autonomous action. This is particularly problematic when women attempt to borrow money after registering a cooperative.